Stress Therapy
by Telpei
Summary: Kaiba's work related stress lands him in the hospital and the good doctor prescribes a month's worth of vacation. Where does Mokuba send his brother? To a sex therapist, of course...kaijou
1. Prologue The Incident

Title: Stress Therapy - Prologue?

Author: Telpei

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Seto/Jou

Beta: JennieB - Thanks so much! You've been an awesome help  
already! offers pocky

Spoilers: None. This is AU.

Disclaimer: It's not mine. The idea's not even mine. But I'm going  
to use it all the same and have fun with it sticks out tongue So  
there! Muahahahahaha... the plot bunny was provided by Calico1019 though, from A Dragon's Lair. Many thanks!

Summary: Kaiba's work-related stress lands him in the hospital and  
the good doctor prescribes a month's worth of vacation. The first  
week doesn't go very well, so Mokie decides to step in and send his  
brother away so that Seto won't be anywhere near his company. But  
what kind of 'spa' has Mokuba chosen? Seto's in for quite a sexy  
surprise...

OoooooooO

Prologue - The Incident

Seto Kaiba did not like hospitals. He especially did not like being  
a patient at a hospital. But here he was, confined to bed. For the  
first time in his twenty years, he totally lacked control of his  
life.

"Seto, please stop seething," Mokuba pleaded from beside his  
brother's bed. "You're here in the first place because of stress,  
and all this tension isn't helping things at all!"

The brunet rolled his eyes, but he knew his little brother was  
right. With a sigh, he forced himself to relax. Dr. Tsume would be  
here any minute, and Seto was sure that he'd be allowed to leave for  
the mansion. Kaiba Corp was going to be extremely behind  
schedule...he'd already missed a whole week of work and he couldn't  
imagine how far behind production would be.

Unfortunately, thinking about his company only got his blood  
pressure going again - causing the annoying, constant beep of the  
monitor beside him to speed up. Mokuba shot him a stern glare and  
Seto sighed. "Sorry, Mokie," he apologized softly, reaching out to  
ruffle his little brother's hair with a hint of a smile on his  
face. "You don't have to worry so much, you know. I'm going to be  
fine."

"That's right," Dr. Tsume added from the doorway, surprising them  
both. "Your brother will be fine, young master Kaiba, as long as he  
takes a very long vacation."

Seto's eyes instantly widened. "Doctor, what you're asking is  
impossible. My company-"

"-is going to take a back seat for once," Mokuba finished, cutting  
Seto off with another glare - one the brunet would later admit that  
he was proud of. "He'll take a very long vacation," the raven haired  
teen assured the doctor. "Your health is more important than Kaiba  
Corp, big brother. I don't care if I have to send you to the  
moon...you are going to get healthy."

The elderly doctor smiled, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his  
nose. "With Mokuba around to keep you in check, I'm sure we won't  
have a problem tackling this stress of yours, Master Kaiba. I'd say  
a month should do, at the very least. No work, Seto. I mean that. No  
phone calls, no emails, no 'quick trips to the office'. You are to  
disconnect yourself from that company for one month and get your  
body back under control."

Kaiba was about to protest, but he knew that it was useless. He knew  
he had to get better...even if it was for the sake of Mokuba -  
especially if it was for the sake of Mokuba, he corrected himself.  
He would not let his brother down. Not now, and not ever.

And if that meant he had to leave his company to its own devices for  
a whole month...the brunet shivered at the thought. But he would do  
it. For Mokuba, he would do anything.

OoooooooO

One whole week went by, and Seto soon realized that he was bored to  
death - without his work, he had nothing to do. Mokuba was also  
starting to get frustrated with his brother's boredom. Since Seto  
couldn't seem to amuse himself, the younger Kaiba found that he was  
practically babysitting his brother - which included trying to keep  
him away from any sort of technology that Seto could use to connect  
to Kaiba Corp. It all came to and end, though, when Mokie found the  
perfect solution...

As soon as Mokuba had used his puppy dog eyes, Seto had known he was  
doomed. So here he was, twelve short hours later, with all of his  
bags packed and his private jet gassed up and ready to fly. The two  
Kaiba brothers exchanged their goodbyes and, with a promise to stay  
away from phones and computers, Seto was on his way to the Feel Good  
Therapy and Spa Resort where he would spend the next three weeks.  
Little did he know that those three weeks held more in store for him  
than he could ever imagine.

TBC


	2. Chapter 1 The Job

Title: Stress Therapy 1?

Author: Telpei

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Seto/Jou

Beta: JennieB - Thank you so much for your fast work! offers  
pocky I wouldn't be able to do this without you!

Spoilers: None. This is AU.

Disclaimer: Its not mine. The idea's not even mine. But I'm going to  
use it all the same and have fun with it sticks out tongue So  
there! Muahahaha...(Many thanks, though, to calico 1019, for  
offering up this delicious bunny for feasting! offers pocky)

Summary: Kaiba's work-related stress lands him in the hospital and  
the good doctor prescribes a month's worth of vacation. The first  
week doesn't go very well, so Mokie decides to step in and send his  
brother away so that Seto won't be anywhere near his company. But  
what kind of 'spa' has Mokuba chosen? Seto's in for quite a sexy  
surprise...

Chapter 1 - The Job

Seto frowned as he eyed the receptionist behind the desk, not at all  
pleased with the current situation. Her nametag read Liz, and he  
wondered how much money he could throw around to get 'Liz'  
fired. "What do you mean I've been paired with someone who will suit  
my lack of experience!" he demanded angrily, his hands balling into  
fists.

The secretary blinked. "Sir, please calm down. When your brother  
called us he informed us of your history with stress therapy  
treatment and assured us that you've been abstinent for some time."

"Abstinent? Mokuba said that! Mokuba knows what that means?" Seto  
felt like he was about to have a nervous breakdown and he could feel  
his blood pressure rising again, but he tried to relax and carried  
on. "And what the hell does stress therapy have to do with sex?"

Liz sighed. She agreed with this man's younger brother  
completely...Seto Kaiba certainly needed to relax. "Sir, please  
calm down. We have been instructed by your brother to give you the  
full range of our services, and we intend to fully comply. Gregoire,  
behind you, will bring you to your room and you may get settled.  
Your therapist will join you in about an hour for your first  
session."

Seto swallowed. Hard. He only had an hour to compose himself?  
Backing out of this now wasn't an option, he knew that. Seto lived a  
life of no regrets, and he knew that if he turned around and went  
home he'd regret it later on. Mokuba was right...he did need to  
loosen up.

Resigned to his fate and although he would never admit it, a little  
excited, he sighed and nodded. "Fine. where do I need to sign?"

The receptionist offered him a strained smile. "Right here, Mr.  
Kaiba," she replied, sliding him a piece of paper. "And we'll just  
need a short blood test that Gregoire will perform in your room."

Seto nodded and signed his name where it was indicated, got his  
credit card back and turned to Gregoire - a moderately good looking  
young man with black hair and gray eyes.

"Follow me, Monsieur," he said with a toothy smile, turning to head  
down the hall. Seto grimaced. If Gregoire was going to be around a  
lot, then it was going to be a long three weeks indeed. He ran a  
hand through his hair and with a sigh turned to follow the French  
foreigner down the hall. He shivered slightly as he rounded the  
corner, getting the uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched.  
He glanced over his shoulder and for the briefest of moments met a  
pair of amber eyes before his next steps took him out of their view.

Seto shook his head as he turned back to Gregoire, his eyes  
flickering to the bell boy's lower regions for a brief moment before  
he looked away in disgust. He certainly hoped that his 'therapist'  
would be better looking than the Frenchman. The colour of amber  
flashed in his memory and Seto felt another shiver. He certainly  
wouldn't be forgetting those eyes anytime soon.

OoooooooO

Half an hour later, Seto headed back to the lobby to see if he could  
get rid of Gregoire. Although the Frenchman really was starting to  
grate on his nerves, the brunet had ulterior motives. In the lobby  
there was a chance that he could see the man he'd glimpsed earlier -  
the man he couldn't stop thinking about. He was half aroused just  
thinking about his eyes, never mind the rest of his body.

Seto ran a hand through his hair, trying to clear his thoughts as he  
stepped into the lobby...only to stop mid-step as he realized that  
there was someone already at the counter. Deciding to wait it out,  
he shrank back into the shadows. Unfortunately, he could hear their  
entire conversation.

The brunet snorted. 'Unfortunately, my ass,' he thought. And  
speaking of asses, the guy at the counter certainly had a nice one.

Seto groaned to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was a  
hopeless case. Now that he was thinking about his lacking sex life,  
he'd started wanting one. 'Damn Mokuba and his evil, conniving  
ways...' he thought miserably. With yet another sigh, he turned his  
attention to the conversation at the desk in an attempt to distract  
his thoughts. However, it didn't work so well once he realized that  
the guy whose ass he'd been checking out was, in fact, the amber  
eyed mystery man from earlier.

Seto's breath caught in his throat and he shrank deeper into the  
shadows. He couldn't be seen...not by him. He instantly tuned into  
their conversation, listening more intently.

"C'mon, Liz! You've gotta give me this job!"

The secretary rolled her eyes again. "Jou, you know I want to. But  
Otogi's already requested it! And you know how his father can be...I  
don't want to lose my job."

Seto held his breath. His name was Jou. Jou. That must be short for  
something, but what? And his voice...his voice was as smooth as  
honey and matched the colour of his eyes perfectly. Seto swallowed,  
putting his thoughts aside for the moment. He needed to hear the  
rest of the conversation. What job were they talking about?

The blond sighed. "Pleeease?" he begged, offering Liz his best puppy  
dog eyes. "Just this once! If Ryuuji gets pissed, you can blame it  
all on me. Tell 'em I tampered with the computer while you were  
getting a coffee."

Liz eyed him warily for a moment and then dropped her gaze, shaking  
her head in defeat. "Fine, Jou. Fine. But if I get into trouble for  
this, you're going to be hearing about it."

Jou grinned. "Great. Thanks, Liz, you're the best," he siad, leaning  
over the counter to steal a grateful kiss.

The secretary rolled her eyes again. It seemed like she was used to  
such physical attention. Seto frowned. Were they together? it would  
be just his luck, to find that the blond was already taken; or  
worse, that he was swinging for the opposing team. Seto's thoughts  
were jerked back to reality when he heard the receptionist's next  
sentence -

"I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous. This Seto Kaiba is quite the  
looker. Watch out for his temper though, Jou," she warned, tapping  
away at her computer. "I'll give you the job, but..."

Seto stopped listening as he put two and two together. The job was  
him. He was the job. He swallowed the lump in his throat, fisting a  
hand in his hair. Of course. Jou wanted a job...that meant that he  
must work at this place...and that meant that he was nothing more  
than a whore. The brunet took a stumbling step backwards, and then  
wheeled around and stalked angrily away.

Back in the lobby, Liz continued, "I'll give you the job, but don't  
come crying to me when he breaks your heart."

Jounouchi Katsuya protested immediately. "Hey, you know that I keep  
my business strictly professional, Liz. All of us do."

The secretary eyed him carefully, shaking her head a little  
bit. "And I know that you tend to get emotionally attached to your  
clients. Just remember that this guy's only here for a little while.  
I have a feeling that this one's going to be too deep for you."

The blond shook his head. "No way, Liz. I've got it all under  
control, trust me," he assured her with a trademark grin. "Besides,  
how complicated can this guy be? He's a businessman, and all  
businessmen are the same. They come here, they have sex, and then  
they all go home to their wives." he ignored Liz's skeptical look,  
brushing it off with a wave of his hand. "I'll be fine. This is my  
job, after all."

Liz sighed. "Well, Jou, maybe you should find a different job. This  
place just isn't good for you. It's not good for anyone..."

OooTBCooO


	3. Chapter 2 The Tour

Title: Stress Therapy 2?

Author: Telpei

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Seto/Jou

Beta: JennieB

Spoilers: None. This is AU.

Disclaimer: It's not mine. The idea's not even mine. It belongs to calico1019, and I thank her!

Summary: Kaiba's work-related stress lands him in the hospital and the good doctor prescribes a month's worth of vacation. The first week doesn't go very well, so Mokie decides to step in and send his brother away so that Seto won't be anywhere near his company. But what kind of relaxing 'spa' has Mokuba chosen? Seto's in for quite a sexy surprise...

OoooooooO

Chapter 2 - The Tour

Jounouchi Katsuya did not like being nervous. He was lucky because he didn't get nervous very often, but that only made it twice as bad when he did get nervous. Like right now, for example, he thought as he stood in front of room 69 - an ironic number, he decided bitterly - and raised a trembling fist to knock on the door.

He rapped three times in quick succession and then fiddled with the file folder he was holding to occupy his fingers' impatience. 'Damn,' he thought angrily. 'What's with me! This is just like any other job. I'll go in there, do my thing, and then it'll be over. And it'll be the same thing every day for the whole time he's here.' The door opened and Jounouchi's thoughts instantly scattered. 'Though...this might be easier if he wasn't so...so...intense...' He took a deep breath, willing his brain to collect its thoughts so that he could form a complete, logical sentence. "Uh..." he stammered, a blush colouring his cheeks. 'Damnit Jou, you're never like this! Get a grip on yourself!'

He took another deep breath, ignoring the elegantly quirked eyebrow, the mocking look in those cerulean blue eyes, the amused set of that strong and angular jaw... 'Not helping!' he thought miserably, faking a cough in an attempt to hide his nervous floundering. Needless to say, the effort was wasted.

"Well?" the brunet demanded, pulling the door open a little further and crossing his arms over his chest. "Who are you and what do you want? I have no time to waste on peasants and mongrels. Speak."

Jounouchi gulped. God, this guy was hot; and oh so dominant. 'Not good,' his mind supplied. 'You need to think! Say something!' "Uh..." he started again, panicking when the gorgeous hunk of a male standing in the doorway moved to close said door in his face. "Hey, hang on a minute!" he protested, finally finding his voice. "I'm your therapist. Name's Jounouchi, but you c'n call me Jou." 'Actually, you can call me whatever you want...' he added mentally, openly gawking at Seto Kaiba.

Seto smirked. He was actually amazed that he was able to keep up his superior 'tough guy' act - half an hour earlier he would have been lost if the blond had showed up at his room. But not anymore, now that he knew what the blond was. "Ah, so you can talk," he stated derogatorily.

"Hey, look," Jou cut in quickly, waving his hands about wildly. His manila folder almost went flying, contents included. "There ain't no need to be such an ass..." An uncomfortable silence stretched out between them. Seto flushed, and Jou wasn't sure whether it was in embarrassment or anger. The blond finally cleared his throat and pressed on. "I'm here ta help ya," he insisted, managing a weak grin. He lifted up the folder as if in explanation. Seto just stared at him blankly, and Jou sighed, shaking his head. "C'mon, lemme just give you a tour a the place an' we'll go from there..." he offered, turning to head down the hall.

A tour. Seto fronwd slightly. Ok, he could handle a tour. He'd get shown the facilities and see if the resort was up to his required standards - not that the CEO was going anywhere if it wasn't. His therapist's lean body, gorgeous eyes, and tight ass were keeping him right where he was. "Fine," he agreed through clenched teeth, pointedly ignoring his traitorous thoughts. "Fine, you can take me -" he paused, slipping on the shoes that were beside the door.

It was then Jounouchi's turn to flush. 'Oh God yes,' he thought helplessly. "I'll take you, all right," he muttered under his breath, already imagining Seto's body beneath his, skin glistening with sweat and mouth open in a scream of-

"You'll what?" Seto demanded, his voice cold as ice.

Jou's thoughts came to a crashing halt. He blinked. Seto was mad. Why was Seto mad? What had he said? Oh...oh wait... "Take you on the tour!" he insisted quickly, eyes wide with panic. "On the tour! Of the facilities! I'm taking you on the tour!" The CEO snorted, but Jou didn't miss the pink tinge colouring Seto's cheeks. His panic faded and his lips curled up in a smirk. The brunet shot him a glare an the blond quickly schooled his expression into a wide grin. "Well? Are ya ready? This is gonna be one hell of a trip!"

OoO

Seto suppressed his third yawn of the evening. Obviously Jounouchi had been exaggerating when he'd predicted that the tour would be exciting. As it was, Seto's sexually repressed mind was supplying several more interesting ideas for things that they could be doing together, none of which included walking around some building and looking at various rooms. Still, the brunet did have to admit that the facility was well equipped for 'stress therapy' as they defined it. There was a professional masseuse, a sun tanning room, an actual spa with hot tubs and saunas, and entirely too many flaky women for Seto's liking - all of whom insisted on clinging to Jounouchi as he passed.

Speaking of Jou...Seto noted with little enthusiasm that his therapist was still rambling on nervously. For someone who had this kind of job - "working" with people all the time - Seto would have expected the mutt to be a little bit classier. That wasn't to say that he didn't find Jounouchi attractive; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Golden Jou, with his golden hair and his golden eyes and his golden skin...

"Yo, Earth ta Kaiba!" Jou called out, waving his file folder in front of Seto's eyes. The brunet jerked to awareness instantly. "Quit droolin' at the therapist's good looks and pay attention to the tour, wouldja?" he joked.

"You're not the most modest person in the world, are you?" Seto demanded, angry with himself for getting caught staring. He was above this, goddamn it. Bitterly he crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at the shorter man. "Besides, if you weren't so boring I would want to pay attention, wouldn't I?"

Jounouchi groaned. "Yer certainly fulla yerself, ain't ya?" he replied, giving an exasperated sigh. "Fine, we'll just get started on your therapy, then. Follow me, Kaiba-san," he teased, winking slyly at the brunet. "We'll head over to my...private office..."

Ooo TBC ooO


	4. Chapter 3 The Phone

Title: Stress Therapy 3?

Author: Telpei

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Seto/Jou

Beta: JennieB

Spoilers: None. This is AU.

Disclaimer: It's not mine. The idea's not even mine. But I'm going to use it all the same and have fun with it sticks out tongue So there! Muahahahahaha... (Many thanks, though, to calico1019, for offering up this delicious bunny for feasting! offers pocky)

Summary: Kaiba's work-related stress lands him in the hospital and the good doctor prescribes a month's worth of vacation. The first week doesn't go very well, so Mokie decides to step in and send his brother away so that Seto won't be anywhere near his company. But what kind of 'spa' has Mokuba chosen? Seto's in for quite a sexy surprise...

AN: This is for the TIGHaPBC challenge, plot bunny post # 16605.

Chapter 3 – The Phone

At first Seto had been wary about the prospect of going to Jounouchi's office. Something about the way the blond had suggested it had set the CEO's nerves on fire with anticipation. And yet, he didn't want to do anything he'd regret. Seto didn't want to do anything to ruin the relationship he was already building with the blond.

He was reluctant to admit it, but something had changed about how he perceived his therapist. When he'd been eavesdropping in the lobby earlier, Jou had been nothing more than a whore who didn't deserve Seto Kaiba's time or attention...but that image was slowly starting to fade. The way Jou rambled on about how great their masseuse was and how well-known their tanning salon was and how perfect the temperature of the hot tub was had Seto wanting to get to know him - to really know him.

Seto wanted to know why Jou went by a Japanese name yet spoke with an American accent. Seto wanted to know why the blond had come to work at this...place – why Jou had been unable to find something better to do with his life. Seto wanted to know what Jou thought of him.

Most of all, Seto wanted to know why he cared.

With a scowl, he sat down gracefully on one end of the black leather couch while Jou dropped himself onto the matching chair just beside him.

"Here, Kaiba," he said, reaching over onto his desk and grabbing a clip board. He picked up a pen from the table beside his chair and passed both to the brunet. "You gotta sign those. Jus' so that the Feel Good Therapy and Spa Resort won't be held responsible if you get yerself in over yer head," he said with a grin.

Seto's lips dipped down into a frown as he concentrated on the fine print of the contract. He reached into the breast pocket of his shirt and pulled out a pair of reading glasses. Slipping them onto his nose, he looked up with a raised eyebrow when Jounouchi started giggling. "And what exactly is so amusing?" he demanded, his ice blue eyes narrowing into a glare.

Jounouchi sniggered. "Nothin'," he replied, covering his mouth with his hand. "Nothin', Kaiba, honest," he insisted when the brunet's glare intensified.

The CEO was silent for a moment and when he finally spoke, he surprised the therapist. "My name is Seto," he said, his voice taking on an odd tone. Jou couldn't quite identify it as any single emotion. It seemed to be a mix of...regret, sadness...hope...

The blond wasn't exactly sure how such a mix of contradictory feelings was possible, but he didn't concern himself with that at the moment. No, his brain was much more preoccupied with Seto's exposed vulnerability. Jounouchi had a feeling that Seto didn't expose that vulnerability very often. Had he really made that much progress so soon? He took a deep breath to calm himself as he reached out to close the short distance between them, but he hesitated at the last moment as Seto's sharp eyes snapped up to meet his questioning amber gaze. "Eh...all right then, Seto," he replied with a huge, forced grin, pulling his hand back. He knew when he was being told to stop. Too much too soon could end things with this client; he knew he'd have to be careful with this job

"Good," Seto replied, his tone clipped. "So why were you laughing?"

"Eh? Oh, that," Jou took a second to remember what had been going on and then his grin widened. Seto noticed that it wasn't quite as phony this time. "Jus' that I never imagined ya with glasses."

"And that's funny because...?" the brunet inquired with a quirked brow.

Jou stuck out his tongue. "It just is!" he insisted, grinning again.

Seto found the gesture oddly unsettling. He grunted a dismissal of the subject and turned back to the papers. Deciding that his lawyers could work through whatever kind of a mess he might get into – not that he wasn't in a pretty good mess already – Seto signed the papers with a sigh, scrawling his signature over the dotted line a total of three times throughout the document. "There," he said, tossing the clipboard back to the blond. "It's done."

Jou grinned. "Perfect. Now we'll get a schedule set up and then we can start the real action – " The blond stopped abruptly as his eyes locked with Seto's. His heart stopped, his breathing stopped, his brain stopped...Seto was asking him something...if only he could figure out what it was! The look in those cerulean eyes was indiscernible but so very intense that Jou had to shift in his seat to relieve the discomfort between his legs. "Seto...?" he whispered, and the moment was broken. Seto's gaze snapped away and his back went ramrod straight.

Jou held back a groan, mentally hitting himself repeatedly on the head. He'd been about to take a huge step forward and then he'd gone and ruined it all! Rule number one, gain the client's trust! Even if the rule was only to avoid law suits for the resort, Jounouchi had made it his personal goal to be as honest and open as he could with each of his clients. Seto Kaiba was going to be no exception. "Ok, uh..." he stammered, trying to build a bridge across the canyon of silence between them.

"Schedule," Seto offered stiffly. "You were going to make a schedule."

Jou jumped in surprise as when the CEO spoke and the clipboard went flying. "Oh fuck," he cursed, bending forward to reach for it just as Seto did the same.

Their heads collided and Jou reeled back with a yelp of pain.

"Huh," Seto muttered, touching his hand to his own injured forehead. "You even cry out like a dog."

"Hey!" Jou protested. "I ain't no dog! An' I certainly don't cry out like no dog either! Are you listening to me, Seto Kaiba!" Jounouchi's jaw dropped when he realized that Seto was laughing. Laughing! It wasn't loud and it wasn't out of control, but the brunet was definitely sniggering. The blond grinned in triumph. "HA!" he insisted. "You do have a sense of humour!"

Seto gave a dry grin, grabbing the clipboard from the floor and passing it to Jounouchi. "I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted, but the therapist could definitely detect a hint of amusement in those deep blue eyes.

The blond gave a massive grin, turning a page on the clipboard and preparing to fix up a schedule. He was interrupted when an electronic sound filled the room.

Seto's eyes narrowed worriedly and he pulled his cell phone out of his slacks. He stared at the caller ID screen for a moment before he flipped it open. "Kaiba," he answered curtly. "What is it?"

Jounouchi frowned. If he remembered correctly, then Seto wasn't supposed to have any connection at all to his company. But how was he to know if Kaiba Corp was on the other end of the line? And if someone calling the CEO out here, it was going to be long distance; the blond didn't want to interrupt if it was something important. So, he set about fixing up the schedule while non-discreetly listening in on the conversation and watching Seto's reaction.

The CEO was calm at first – tense, but calm. And then his jaw tightened. "Can you idiots not even handle things for a week? I told you to leave Kaijawa-san in charge of production!" He fell silent for another moment and then growled, "That's it, I've heard enough of your rambling."

Jou winced. It sounded like whoever was on the other line had just cut Seto off. And cutting Seto off couldn't be a good thing, especially from the look of the twitch developing in his right eye...

The therapist frowned. Twitch? Hey wait...this was a place to relax! Kaiba shouldn't be twitching! "Hey, Seto," he called out, holding up the clipboard. "We've got things to do here, so-"

"I have more important things to deal with than you, mutt," Seto interrupted him warningly, instantly turning his attention back to his phone.

Jounouchi growled. Acting on instincts, he made a lunge for the phone...and managed to catch Seto by surprise. They both toppled onto the floor, each scrambling for the electronic communications device. The person on the other end of the line was calling out to Kaiba, yelling to see if he was still there...

"You damned mutt!" Seto growled, flipping them over and trying to pry Jounouchi's fingers from the iron grip the blond had on his phone. "Give it back! You're ruining important business and acting completely childish!"

"Well, I don't see you tryin' ta find a diplomatic solution!" Jou argued, kicking with his legs and managing to topple them back over and rolling them a couple of times across the floor. Seto ended up on top again, but the phone was still in the therapist's clutches.

With a primal cry, Jou finally tugged free of Seto's hands and snapped the phone closed with a triumphant grin. "Ha! That'll teach ya to take business calls on my time!"

Seto glared. "You insignificant little fuck, that was an important phone call! My business takes top priority in my life and you could have seriously damaged my corporation!"

"Ah, ah," Jou replied with a knowing smile, rather enjoying his position beneath the brunet. He ignored Seto's taunts and insults with some difficulty, but he had a point to make and he wasn't going to ruin this by lashing out at the CEO. "Is your company top priority?" he asked. "What about that brother of yours?"

Seto's mouth snapped shut and he fell silent. Jou pressed on, but his voice was gentler now. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't love Mokuba. He needs you, Seto; more than your company ever will."

Several moments of silence passed, but Jou had never felt closer to anyone. Their eyes were locked, and Seto was searching him, again asking him for something but Jou couldn't hear the question. The blond opened his mouth to say something, but Seto covered his lips with a slender finger. "How is it," the brunet asked, his voice barely above a whisper, "that you can understand me so well when you've known me for such a short period of time?" Jounouchi tried to answer, but Seto wouldn't let him speak. "Now let me try to understand you, Jou. You work here because you want to help people. I'm guessing that you chose this job. At first I thought you landed here for money, but I have a feeling that's not true. And judging by the kiss you so eagerly bestowed on dear Liz, I'm guessing you live on physical contact..."

Jou gulped; his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. Seto was getting closer with each word and he could smell the CEO's cologne, taste warm breath on his lips...And then their lips were touching and Jou was floating on cloud nine. He arched up into the touch, one hand tangling in the hair at the base of Seto's neck and his other hand pressing against the CEO's chest. He was pushing the brunet away and pulling him closer at the same time as his fingers curled in Seto's shirt. He moaned in the back of his throat as the young man's tongue swept across his lips.

Jounouchi suddenly came to his senses, and he broke away from the kiss with a gasp for air...eyes widening in surprise as Seto started kissing and licking and sucking his way down the blond's slender neck. "Seto...Seto stop, wait..." he protested, pushing weakly against the brunet's shoulders. "Seto...you have to be sure you want this! If you jump into it...ah! too quickly – qui-quickly then the therapy...doesn't...have its pro-proper effects!"

"I read the paperwork, Jou," Seto murmured against the therapist's ear. "I know what I want. Besides...this is your job, right? To satisfy my needs?"

Jounouchi gulped as Seto started sucking on his earlobe. This was going too far too fast...and by the looks of it there was nothing he could do to stop it.

TBC


	5. Chapter 4 The Past

Title: Stress Therapy – 4?

Author: Telpei

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Seto/Jou

Beta: JennieB glomps you're the best!

Spoilers: None. This is AU.

Disclaimer: It's not mine. The idea's not even mine. But I'm going to use it all the same and have fun with it sticks out tongue So there! Muahahahahaha... (Many thanks, though, to calico1019, for offering up this delicious bunny for feasting! presents pocky)

Author's Notes: at bottom.

Summary: Kaiba's work-related stress lands him in the hospital and the good doctor prescribes a month's worth of vacation. The first week doesn't go very well, so Mokie decides to step in and send his brother away so that Seto won't be anywhere near his company. But what kind of 'spa' has Mokuba chosen? Seto's in for quite a sexy surprise...

OoooooooO

Chapter 4 – The Past

Seto knew he was being unfair. He knew that he shouldn't be pressuring Jounouchi into anything, much less something like...like...sex. He shivered as he thought the word, his enthusiasm renewed as he lavished the hollow of the blond's throat with attention. His tongue licked and swirled, and he briefly took Jou's Adam's apple in his mouth, sucking gently before he released it. The blond's response was encouraging; Jou was shivering and he had stopped protesting Seto's advances – mostly because his mouth was suddenly full of said CEO's tongue.

The brunet knew he should stop, knew he should get his body under control and pull away, but he couldn't. He'd wanted the blond from the first time their eyes had met, and now that beautiful body was so close to him. He reached out and touched Jou's chest, his fingers gently rubbing the therapist's nipples through his baby blue shirt, coaxing them to harden beneath his ministrations. The blond was moaning, tossing his head from side to side in rapture, and his reactions were making Seto even hotter.

Screw his conscience. For once in his life, Seto was going to do what he wanted, and right now he wanted to do Jounouchi. God, he needed this, and he needed it bad. It had been so long since his last lover; so long since he'd experienced the touch of another body, the warmth of another body, the feel of another body...Seto moaned, burying his face in the crook of the blond's neck as his fingers abandoned the nipples, traveling lower and feeling Jou's stomach through the material of his clothing. Muscles twitched at his touch, and Seto focused on the blond's ragged breathing. Only then did he realize that his own breaths were coming in pants and gasps.

Jounouchi was trying to talk, still trying to stop what was going on. The guilt rained down on Seto, telling him stop...stop. Stop! But, he readily ignored such rational thoughts. Urgently, he grasped the bulge between the blond's legs, massaging the hardening organ beneath the rough fabric of his jeans and effectively smothering the therapist's protests – for good this time. However, Jounouchi wasn't exactly silenced – his mouth was open as he gave a cry of pleasure, his head thrown back and the muscles in his neck and shoulders tense.

Seto groaned loudly, Jou's vocal response urging him forward. He leaned up to kiss the blond again, steadying himself with both of his hands as his knees urged Jou's legs apart. The CEO slipped between them easily, grinding their groins together and humming in pleasure against the therapist's lips.

Jounouchi couldn't help but respond in kind, his tongue flicking out to press at the brunet's lips and slide past them into the warm, wet mouth. They were bumping and grinding against each other, and slowly the blond's arms came up to encircle Seto's neck. He gently ran his fingers through the soft, chocolate brown hair and moaned into his kiss. The need for air was starting to get to him, and he was starting to sweat from the exertion of their humping.

Jou moaned as he continued to press his body closer and closer to Kaiba's. He was dangerously close to coming in his pants – each time Seto rocked against his groin he was moaning and whimpering and crying out in pleasure all at once. He never, ever wanted this to end because it felt so damn good to have the brunet on top of him, demanding and hot. Their kiss eventually broke off, both men panting for breath as they continued their erotic movements, melding their bodies together in their sensual grinding.

"Oh Fuck..." Jounouchi groaned, writhing and bucking into Kaiba's body and touch. "I'm gonna...gonna come..." he moaned, his body straining for release. "Gonna...gonna...Fucking-aaah..."

Seto managed a smirk, and his lips moved to nip and suck at the blond's neck. "Then do it," he grunted, pressing even harder against the firm body beneath his. The heat between his legs was intensifying, nearly driving him mad with pleasure. His pants were getting damp; he could feel his pre-essence leaking from the tip of his straining arousal. "Do it, whore," he bit out between clenched teeth.

And suddenly, Jounouchi stopped moving. He was snapped back to his senses and immediately pushed Kaiba away. They were both sporting erections large enough to make their pants felt entirely too small and, with a quick glance, Jou confirmed that he wasn't the only one who had been close to release. With a slight frown he got to his feet, not bothering to offer his client a hand up. "No," he said finally.

"No what?" Kaiba demanded, still seated on the floor. He looked up at the blond, completely stunned. One minute he'd been about to reach his sexual climax and the next he was being told 'no'? No one, no one, said 'no' to Seto Kaiba.

"No!" Jounouchi bit back belligerently, moving to sit behind his desk. "My job ain't satisfyin' your needs, Mr. Kaiba. My job is to help you cope with your stress."

Seto growled and got to his feet, ignoring the painful throbbing between his legs and the growing stain on his pants. Apparently Jounouchi had yet to learn his place. "Listen here, mutt-"

But the therapist cut him off again. "No, you listen!" Jou insisted, meeting Kaiba's glare. "I'm the professional here, and you're the one who needs my help. So we're gonna to do things that I say we're gonna do, end of story!"

Seto's eyes narrowed further. "I've had just about enough of you!" he growled threateningly, leaning over the desk and placing both hands on the rich, wooden surface. "I don't know who you think you are, but you'd better watch your step. I can have you fired from this place and out of work for the rest of your sorry little life..."

Jounouchi remained impassive and unresponsive to Kaiba's intimidating tactics, which only managed to tick the brunette off even further. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kaiba, but your threats ain't gonna work here. My job is safe, and we both know it. You may have power in Japan over yer own employees, but here yer money don't make no difference. So, Mr. Kaiba, if you'll kindly have a seat, we'll get back to your therapy."

Fuming, Seto sank into the chair beside the desk. His hair was tousled, his clothes were rumpled and out of place, his pants were stained, and to top it all off, he was still aroused. Of course, it had been the perfect opportunity for someone to open Jounouchi's office door and step into the room – and without knocking, no less. Kaiba's scowl deepened.

"Katsuya," the man greeted, his emerald eyes flashing dangerously. They flicked over to Kaiba for a brief moment, and his thin lips formed a smirk. "I see you've gotten right down to business, haven't you?" he accused, gesturing at Seto. "And with my patient, to boot."

Jounouchi frowned, and Seto noticed that his hands balled into tight fists on top of the desk. "Otogi," he greeted stiffly before turning to the brunet. "Mr. Kaiba, we're done for the day. Have a nice evening and I'll come for you in the morning."

Seto nodded and got to his feet, smirking smugly when he saw that he towered over the raven-haired man but somewhat disappointed that he didn't seem intimidated.

"Maybe I'll see you in the morning, handsome," Otogi cut in smoothly as Seto brushed past him. "Since I was supposed to be his therapist in the first place!"

Seto knew that the second half of the statement had been directed at the blond sitting behind the desk. With one last nod in Jounouchi's direction, he left the office and closed the door behind him. He needed to go back to his room and have a nice, long, cold shower. Then, he'd make a trip to see 'Liz' and see if he couldn't get the facts straight on his own.

Once the brunet was gone, Otogi strode forward and placed his hands on the desk. Without realizing it, he'd taken up the same position that Seto had been in not moments ago, but Jounouchi found that he was maybe a little more apprehensive and a hell of a lot less aroused by Otogi's looming presence.

"Listen, Blondie, I don't know what you think you're up to, but Seto Kaiba was going to be my patient!" Otogi hissed. "You should know better than to step into my territory! You can't handle a case like this. I've got years more experience than you do."

Jounouchi struggled to remain calm, but since he was caught with wet pants and a hard dick, he didn't have much maneuverability. "I hardly think that a year and half counts for very much," the blond replied in a steady voice. "I can do this job just as well as you can."

Otogi smirked. "Listen, Jounouchi. I know we can both screw Seto Kaiba. There's no question there. But when he needs actual therapy, are you going to be able to help him? Or have you forgotten what happened with your last patient?" he sneered, finally stepping away from the desk. "You've got until the morning to back out of this before things get nasty," he warned, his green eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I do mean nasty."

With that said, the raven-haired man turned to leave Jou's office. Pausing in the doorway with his hand on the knob, he glanced over his shoulder. "And, if you think you're hiding the fact that you're aroused as hell, it's not working," he commented before he left the room, and the blond, behind him.

Jounouchi sighed as the door to his office shut with a certain finality, and he dropped his forehead onto the desk in frustration. He was in deep shit now, and if Otogi did get 'nasty', then Jou could very well find himself out of a job...if he was lucky.

Worst case scenario he'd end up in jail.

With a groan, he got to his feet and headed for the suite attached to his office – his own personal area where none of his clients were allowed. The bedroom, bathroom, and small living area were all that he owned, and he wasn't looking forward to losing them. Jou could feel a headache coming on, so he popped a couple of Advil and fell onto his bed. He glanced down at the area between his legs and groaned again when blue eyes flashed in his memory and his cock jumped back to life with renewed vigor. Unable to fight it any longer, his hands drifted downwards and he rid himself of his pants, gasping as the cool air assaulted his heated skin. One thing life had taught him was to live in the moment, and if his previous session was all he was going to get from Seto Kaiba, he damn well wanted to make something of it.

His moaning and panting echoed off the walls of his room before Jounouchi came with a scream of Seto's name. Soon after, he fell into a restless sleep.

Ooo TBC ooO

Author's Notes:

Well, (finally) here's the next chapter, folks! Thanks to Ykarzel for her support (I'm planning that anniversary!) and to a friend of mine, Wishful Thinker, for her help and support as well. I couldn't have done it without you guys!

This is a pretty important chapter. Jounouchi's character gets a bit of depth and I got to play around with Otogi. I love him as an evil guy . Anyway, thanks for reading! Hope you liked the bite of sex at the top. It'll have to hold you off for a while, I think... innocent grin But we'll see how things go. Flattery and begging can get you a long way...

Thanks too, to Jennie for her wonderful beta work! I love you! glomps I was pleased with your reaction, btw, to Jou's secrets...hopefully everyone else will be as keen for more as you were! Thanks for your kind words and support! hugs

Telpei


	6. Chapter 5 The Ring

Title: Stress Therapy – 5?

Author: Telpei

Rating: M

Pairing: Seto/Jou

Beta: Jennie (You STONE! No wait, that's not right...) Thanks SO much for getting this back to me uber!fast with tonnes of helpful comments. offers SETO GRATEFUL PLUSHIE (TM) You're my heroine! (er, not the drug...)

Spoilers: None. This is AU.

Disclaimer: It's not mine. The idea's not even mine. But I'm going to use it all the same and have fun with it sticks out tongue So there! Muahahahahaha... (Many thanks, though, to calico1019, for offering up this delicious bunny for feasting! presents pocky)

Summary: Kaiba's work-related stress lands him in the hospital and the good doctor prescribes a month's worth of vacation. The first week doesn't go very well, so Mokie decides to step in and send his brother away so that Seto won't be anywhere near his company. But what kind of 'spa' has Mokuba chosen? Seto's in for quite a sexy surprise...

Author's Notes: Thanks to Wishful Thinker, again, for her help! This fic would have stopped last chapter if I hadn't had her to talk to about plot stuffs. So, thanks! hughug Also thanks to Coolmorphs for threatening me until I got off of my lazy ass and wrote this chappie offers pocky It would have been another month without her! sweatdrops I'm sorry it is so late though. Computers are evil, and bad things happen when the batteries in your wireless keyboard start to die .

OoooooooO

Chapter 5 – The Ring

When Seto woke up the next morning, he showered and dressed, and then he settled down for his cup of coffee. His censored paper was waiting for him, and although he was a little put off by the rainbows and flowers, it was the only way he was able to keep up with the outside world. He put on his glasses and then flipped through the pages, looking for anything that seemed mildly interesting, but his thoughts were a little preoccupied.

The night before, he'd paid a visit to Liz and had requested two documents belonging to the spa. One belonged to Jounouchi Katsuya and the other to Otogi Ryuuji. He had scanned them briefly, right in front of her, and then had made his request. She had seemed surprised and had almost refused – Seto could only assume that it was to protect her friend – but the CEO's money had come through for him as it always did. The two documents were sitting on the table beside his mug of coffee, each one tucked neatly inside its clean, white envelope. Seto had already read both files thoroughly, but he set down his paper and pulled one of them out again anyway. He sighed as his eyes scanned over the now familiar text, lingering slightly on Jounouchi's name. He couldn't help but notice that a whole year of information seemed to be missing...

Just then, he heard the tail end of his cell phone ring from the other room and frowned.

He glanced at the clock on the microwave and his frown deepened. Mokuba should have called him already; it was almost noon in Japan...and he usually kept his cell phone close at hand. In fact, the last time he had seen his cell had been... Seto's frown evolved into a full-fledged scowl.

An impatient knock then sounded on the door of his suite.

Still scowling, Seto made his way across the room and swung the door open, just as his phone started ringing again, this time from the beginning of the song. It was a tune that Mokuba had programmed into the device, and the CEO just hadn't had the heart to change it.

Jounouchi was staring back at him through bleary eyes, and he thrust the phone in Kaiba's face. "This fucker has bin goin' off fer an hour, I swear," he grunted, brushing past the brunet and into the room. "It's five fucking am! Who th'hell's callin' ya now?"

The brunet frowned as he flipped open his phone, bringing it up to his ear as he watched Jou flop gracelessly onto his couch. "Nice pajamas," he commented as he shut the door to his suite, eyeing Jou's pink flannelette covered rear end. The blond flipped him the bird and Seto snorted, finally turning his attention to his phone. "Kaiba," he greeted.

"Seto!" Mokuba's voice exclaimed. "Are you all right! I've called you twenty-two times and you didn't answer! Is anything wrong? You didn't have another attack, did you? Seto, I've been so worried! How come you didn't answer?"

"Mokie, calm down," Seto replied tiredly, moving towards the bedroom so he could have a little privacy for his conversation with his brother. Maybe when he was finished, the blond on his couch would be gone. "My phone...got misplaced. I only heard it ringing a moment ago."

Mokuba was silent for a moment, and Seto could hear the gears turning in his little brother's head. The brunet knew that he hadn't given enough details, even though what he had said had been the truth. The younger Kaiba was bound to be suspicious.

"Misplaced?" Mokuba finally asked. "Seto, you never misplace anything, much less your cell phone..."

Seto sighed, closing his bedroom door and moving to sit down on the bed. "Jou, my therapist, and I had a bit of an argument about it yesterday, and I accidentally left it in his office overnight."

"Don't tell me you took a Kaiba Corp. call!" Mokuba groaned. "Seto, I've told you a hundred times that you aren't allowed to-"

"I know," Seto replied with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Mokie. I know that you have things under control. I promise it won't happen again."

The younger Kaiba was silent for a moment, and then he grunted his approval. "All right, I trust you Seto. I'll have a word with your secretary and 'remind' her that she's not to forward your calls." Mokuba paused for a few seconds, and when he spoke again Seto could have sworn he heard the grin in his younger brother's voice. "So, you're already on a first name basis with your therapist? Are things going well?"

Seto sighed. "Yes, Mokuba. But if I had known exactly what kind of therapy you were signing me up for, I never would have come."

"I know," the raven-haired boy replied. Seto could definitely detect a grin. "That's why I didn't tell you. So, you said his name was Jou? What's he like? You didn't give Liz a hard time, did you? She sounded nice when I spoke with her on the phone."

The elder Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Yes, his name is Jounouchi. He's not a bad person; I suppose...I can tolerate him, at least." Seto wisely decided to keep his initial confrontation with Liz to himself.

Mokuba snickered. "Well, I guess if you can tolerate him, then you're getting along fine. Listen big brother, I've got a lunch meeting with those stuck up pricks from the States in a half an hour, and I still have to get some charts ready. I've got to run but I'll talk to you later, ok?"

Seto nodded, smiling slightly. "All right, Mokie. I'll call you tonight."

"Ok! Bye Seto! Love you!"

"I love you too," the brunet replied, still smiling as he hung up. He stood and pocketed his phone, and then headed out of his bedroom...only to have his smile fade into a frown when he saw that a certain blond was now sitting at his table with a mug of coffee.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Seto demanded, moving towards the table and sitting down in front of his paper, pulling it out of Jou's reach. "This is my suite and I don't remember inviting you in."

Jou shrugged, staring into his coffee. He looked a little more awake now that he'd had some caffeine, but there still wasn't much life in him. "I figured since yer phone woke me up so goddamn early, you owed me a cup a coffee at th' very least."

"Well, you figured wrong. So if you'll kindly leave..." Seto said threateningly, fixing an icy glare on the therapist.

Jou rolled his eyes. "I ain't doin' ya no harm by sittin' here," the blond murmured, taking another sip of his hot beverage and leaning back into his chair with a sigh of relief. He eyed Seto carefully, noticing that the brunet was wearing his glasses again. He was finding them increasingly attractive.

"I happen to like peace and quiet in the mornings," the brunet replied with a frown. He didn't like the way the therapist was watching him. It was unnerving, and Seto Kaiba did not like to be unnerved.

The blond shrugged, sensed Kaiba's discomfort, and turned his gaze back to his coffee mug. "Otogi will be aroun' soon 'nuf," he commented. "He's one of them early risers, too. Betcha he can't wait ta get started with yer sorry ass." Jounouchi sighed as he set down his mug and started fiddling with a package of stapled papers that were on the table. Damn, he thought. My first real client in almost a year and Otogi has to go and mess it up for me... He sighed again, and then suddenly his eyes narrowed as he actually focused on the papers his fingers were playing with. "Hey..." he said, frowning. "This is-"

"Give that to me," Seto cut in tersely, snatching the papers from Jou's hands and stuffing them unceremoniously back into the envelope. "You are invading my personal space and breaching our contract."

"That was my resume!" Jou cut in, jumping to his feet to lunge for the envelope and knocking his chair backwards in the process. It landed with a crash, but neither blond nor brunet seemed to notice. "What the hell are ya doin' wit' my resume?"

Seto frowned. Jounouchi was currently leaning on the table with both hands and breathing heavily. It seemed that the therapist was no longer suffering from the early hours of the morning. "It's not only your resume, but your history at this establishment and any previous establishments where you have been employed," Seto explained, deciding to just tell the blond the truth. "I also have Otogi's file. If you would calm down for a moment and stop damaging my property, I'll tell you why I am in possession of both of your records."

The blond took a moment to reign in his temper, and then he angrily righted his chair and sat down. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Kaiba, waiting for the brunet to speak.

Seto sighed heavily and wrapped his hands around his cooling coffee mug before he started his explanation. "I went to speak with Liz after Otogi interrupted our session yesterday afternoon."

Jou snorted. "It wasn't much of a session. Did you go tell 'er that I was a waste a yer precious time and you wanted Otogi as yer therapist?"

Kaiba sat through Jou's accusations with a calm expression, waiting for the blond to finish before he continued, "I did no such thing. I do not make rash decisions, Jounouchi – my company depends on my ability to react quickly and decisively for the best outcome to any situation. This was no different. I have reviewed both of your files extensively, and you will continue to work with me for the next three weeks. Liz seemed eager to pass me on to Otogi, but I convinced her that we had already developed a client-therapist relationship. I also informed her that it would be more damaging to my health to start over with another therapist when you and I had already started my treatment."

Seto watched in amusement as Jounouchi slowly reacted to his explanation, but he didn't allow the blond to get a word in before he spoke again. "However, I was surprised to find that you describe yourself as 'perhaps the most accomplished sex therapist'. Oh yes, and we can't forget how you mention that your bible is the kama sutra. I should really speak to your employer and ask if they were so desperate they had to hire you, or if all of this shit is true."

Jounouchi groaned and dropped his forehead onto the tabletop. Although he was excited and relieved that Seto was going to be his client and not Otogi's, he could tell that it was going to be another one of those days...

Ooo TBC ooO

Oh, sidenote: here's the actual plot bunny again...I actually managed to stick in a few of the lines that were given in the evil thing ;; Just so you know I can't have all the credit for the genius in this chapter (sweatdrops Usually I'm a modest person, I swear!)

Message # 16605: After a workaholic Kaiba Seto goes too far, Mokuba decides to take action and books a three week spa somewhere deep in the mountains, hoping it would reduce his elder's BP a little. So, Kaiba goes (is tricked into going, w/e) and finds the spa is just a li'l bit out of the ordinary, especially since it's most famous for its variety of unusual therapies. Enter Katsuya Jounouchi, perhaps the most accomplished sex therapist (at least that's what his resume says) whose bible is the kama sutra. And he has his sights on a certain blue-eyed newcomer who is wound up tighter than a psychotic terrier on crack (his words, not mine). Can Seto deal with him and try to find out how to claw his way back to civilization? Bit open ended. Can be changed around quite a bit.

Sorry it's taken me soooo long to update...I had a really hectic semester at school...we'll see how the next chapter comes along... I've had this one sitting around and forgot to upload it. Sorry guys! offers pocky all around


	7. Chapter 6 The Talk

Title: Stress Therapy – 6?

Author: Telpei

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Seto/Jou

Beta: Jennie - The best of the best! showers with gifts and confetti :P

Spoilers: None. This is AU.

Disclaimer: It's not mine. The idea's not even mine. But I'm going to use it all the same and have fun with it sticks out tongue So there! Muahahahahaha... (Many thanks, though, to calico1019, for offering up this delicious bunny for feasting! presents pocky)

Summary: Kaiba's work-related stress lands him in the hospital and the good doctor prescribes a month's worth of vacation. The first week doesn't go very well, so Mokie decides to step in and send his brother away so that Seto won't be anywhere near his company. But what kind of 'spa' has Mokuba chosen? Seto's in for quite a sexy surprise...

OoooooooO

Last Time:

Seto watched in amusement as Jounouchi slowly reacted to his explanation, but he didn't allow the blond to get a word in before he spoke again. "However, I was surprised to find that you describe yourself as 'perhaps the most accomplished sex therapist'. Oh yes, and we can't forget how you mention that your bible is the kama sutra. I should really speak to your employer and ask if they were so desperate they had to hire you, or if all of this shit is true."

Jounouchi groaned and dropped his forehead onto the tabletop. Although he was excited and relieved that Seto was going to be his client and not Otogi's, he could tell that it was going to be another one of those days...

Chapter 6 - The Talk

For the next half hour, Seto drank his coffee and read his paper. He sorely missed his laptop, but Mokuba had absolutely forbidden him to bring it. He'd even gone so far as to check Seto's luggage thoroughly, practically packing his older brother's bag himself. At the airport, he'd ensured that no laptop had snuck its way into Seto's bags by bribing the airport security to let him scan all of the baggage. A small smile tugged at Seto's lips as the memory came to him, and as soon as he noticed it, he was instantly self-aware. His eyes shot up and he found that he was safe this time - Jounouchi hadn't been watching.

Holding back a sigh, Seto turned his eyes back to his newspaper and tried to focus on the words, but he just couldn't do it. He realized that the blond's presence made him wary and nervous - emotions that Seto Kaiba did not feel very often. It was unsettling, and a frown creased the brunet's forehead.

As if Jou could sense the brunet's tension, he glanced up with genuine worry in his eyes. Seto was amazed at how easily the blond could show what he was feeling, how freely he let his emotions show. Surely, the other man had to be afraid that someone would use this against him? Deciding to ask Jounouchi about it later, he shut his mouth when the shorter male opened his. "Well, I guess we might as well get th' day started," Jounouchi suggested, pushing himself away from the table and getting to his feet. "No use sittin' around here, since I'm not gonna get anymore sleep. No thanks to you, I might add," he grumbled. Now that the blond knew he could keep Kaiba as a patient, he was anxious to begin. The sooner he started his work, the sooner they could make some progress. "I think yer smart enough ta remember where the Massage Therapy area was?"

Seto nodded, instantly wary. He'd had a massage only once before, at Mokuba's insistence. It hadn't been the least bit relaxing, as the brunet recalled. In fact, lying face down and naked on a padded, white table while someone rubbed at his skin had been a very unsettling experience for the CEO. He wasn't used to having people invade his private space, and in that small, fragrant room filled with enough candles to create a fire hazard, he hadn't felt at ease at all.

Jounouchi, unaware of Seto's internal debate, yawned hugely and stretched his arms up above his head. His client's thoughts were instantly distracted by the teasing glimpse of honeyed skin and well toned abdominal muscles. Seto swallowed thickly and averted his eyes, trying once again to focus on the newspaper in his hands.

"I'll meet ya there in half an hour," Jou suggested, turning toward the door and scratching his lower back as he walked across the room. "Gotta get dressed an' stuff...don't be late, Kaiba," he said as he opened the door to the suite and stepped out into the hall.

Seto slowly set his paper down and sighed, leaning back in his chair. He took off his reading glasses, folded them, and set them down on the table. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed again and rubbed his tired eyes. Maybe...maybe the massage wouldn't be that bad... The young executive scowled and got to his feet, heading for the bedroom. Who was he kidding? It was bound to be a disaster, and he'd likely end up having another attack. So far, this 'vacation' hadn't served to lower his blood pressure at all. In fact, Seto realized as he got dressed in a comfortable pair of navy blue slacks and a white cotton shirt with beige, leather ties crisscrossing over his neckline, his heart was beating so fast at the prospect of being naked in front of Jounouchi Katsuya that he thought he might fracture a rib.

OoooooooO

Jounouchi glanced up as, right on time, Seto waltzed into the massage parlour. His shoulders were straight and defiant, and his eyes cold as he looked around. The blond sucked in a breath as those icy blue eyes landed on him, and he swallowed a little nervously as the brunet strode across the room and came to a stop beside the couch he was sitting in.

The room they were in was a lobby of sorts, with plush, scarlet sofas scattered about the room. The walls were painted a warm yellow, and several paintings of red flowers added to the décor. One entire wall was a huge window that looked out across the mountain side. There was a sparkling, blue lake in the distance and the sun shone on the thick forest that surrounded the resort.

Jounouchi cleared his throat and got to his feet, nodding in greeting to Kaiba. He was wearing a faded pair of jeans and a forest green, three-quarter sleeve, button down shirt – though the great majority of the buttons were undone. Seto took note of the silver chain necklace hanging around the blond's neck, and he reached out to run his fingers over it, brushing the pads of the digits gently against the blond's skin. "Let's get this over with, Mutt," he commented, and Jounouchi instantly noticed that the brunet's voice sounded a little strained, felt that his posture was a little too forced. What was his client nervous about?

There was a large oak desk off to one side of the room and, after he brushed Seto's hand away from his neckline with a scowl, Jounouchi approached it. He motioned for Seto to follow him with a wave of his hand and then, after a brief conversation with the receptionist behind the desk, he booked him into one of the rooms.

Seto watched as Jou casually flirted with the girl, teasing her and even reaching across the desktop to finger the soft strands of her hair. The girl giggled and waved Jounouchi off. Apparently, she was used to such flattery for she passed him a key card and shooed him down the hall. Fighting back the wave of jealousy he was experiencing, the brunet followed Jounouchi down the corridor, the ugly feeling fading when the blond stopped at a door and turned his attention back to his client as they stepped inside.

"Here's where you can leave yer clothes," he suggested, pointing at the rows of lockers. He unlocked a small cabinet with his keycard and passed Kaiba a key for one of them. "There're towels in the basket. When yer ready, I'll be waitin' out here for ya."

The brunet nodded and waited for the blond to leave the room before he stripped out of his clothes and quickly wrapped the fluffy, white towel the resort provided around his waist. There was a white robe made from the same material in his locker, and since it smelled clean and fresh, Seto put it on as well. With a sigh, he locked up his carefully folded clothes, slipped the key into the pocket of his robe, and headed out into the hall where his therapist was waiting for him.

He was a little surprised to find Jounouchi in a heated discussion with Otogi Ryuuji. The raven-haired therapist had Jou backed up against the wall, and they were both talking in angry, low voices. Seto couldn't make out a thing they were saying, but Jounouchi's rigid posture and clenched fists told the brunet the whole story. He cleared his throat and walked up to the two co-workers, his expression stony.

Otogi instantly brightened when he spotted Seto, a winning smile forming on his lips, and his entire expression softened. "Ah, Mr. Kaiba!" he greeted, offering a short bow to the Japanese man. "So good to see you again. Well, Jounouchi, I believe I've made my point," he said to the blond, his eyes narrowing for a split second. If Seto hadn't been watching intently, he would have missed the expression of pure hatred in the emerald green eyes. Without saying anything else, Otogi waltzed off down the hall, shooting a wink at Seto and brushing his long fingers over the back of the brunet's hand before he disappeared around a corner.

Seto frowned and turned to Jounouchi, eyeing the therapist carefully. "I don't know what you did to get on his bad side," he said, stepping up beside the blond, "but I hope it won't affect my progress at this spa. I came here to get better, not to watch you two idiots fighting all the time." The young executive made sure to keep his voice threatening, mostly so that his concern for the blond didn't show through. He could see that Jounouchi was visibly shaken: his brow was creased, his eyes were dulled, and his hands were trembling.

"Mind your own fucking business, Kaiba," the blond snarled in warning, turning on his heel and heading off down the hall. "This way. Everything's all set up for Your Highness's massage."

Jou's voice was sarcastic and angry, and Seto bit back a violent retort. The blond was obviously upset about something, but as he'd clearly pointed out, it was none of Seto's business. He let the subject drop and followed Jounouchi down the hall until they entered a door on the right hand side of the hallway and came to a stop.

The room was small and as candle-cluttered as it had been during Seto's previous experience. The smell of incense was so strong; he found it was almost impossible to breathe. Ignoring the impulse to gag, Seto frowned at the man standing beside the padded table. Jounouchi seemed pleased, however. "Adam!" he greeted, shaking the taller, muscled man's hand. "This is Seto Kaiba, my client for the day. Kaiba, this is Adam Baxter, and man, can his hands work wonders!"

Seto watched as the tension drained from Jounouchi's body, and his expression was once again jovial. It was as if the encounter with Otogi had never happened at all. With a sigh, he allowed the blond to take his robe while he surveyed Adam. The man was almost as tall as Seto himself, though his shoulders and arms were much broader. He was dressed in a white muscle shirt and black jeans, and his darkly tanned skin glistened in the dim lighting of the room. His hair was dark as well as his eyes, both nearly black in colour, but he had a friendly expression. Although he wasn't very intimidating by Seto's standards - the man was smiling after all and conversing easily with Jounouchi - the brunet was ill at ease. He laid himself on the table face down, covered only by the towel around his waist...which Adam deftly removed after draping a larger one over his buttocks.

Seto tried to relax as the man started working on the bunched muscles in his shoulders and neck, and really, the scented candles and warm oil should have been soothing. Yet, the brunet felt helpless, and he screwed his eyes shut as he tried in vain to regulate his breathing. Soon, however, his breaths were coming in short gasps and he could feel wetness building up behind his closed eyelids. How could he be so weak? This man was only doing his job! Seto told himself over and over again to calm down, that there was nothing to worry about. This had happened once before, and he wouldn't let it happen again, damn it! However, he couldn't help but think of all the time he was losing, wasting; time he could have spent working, or with Mokuba. It was pathetic that his situation had come to this!

Seto wasn't aware of Jounouchi softly speaking with Adam, nor was he aware of the taller man's departure. The door closed softly as the dark-haired man left, leaving Jou alone with his client. The blond surveyed Seto for a few moments, worry creasing his forehead as he stepped forward and gently placed a hand on top of the brunet's head. "Seto?" he asked softly, crouching down so that he was at eye level with his client.

The brunet's eyes snapped open and he pushed himself up on his arms, instantly alert and looking very much like a spooked animal that was ready to bolt. "Seto," Jounouchi repeated, his hand now coming to rest on the CEO's shoulder. "It's ok. Calm down," he murmured, and surprisingly, Seto's wild, panicked eyes slipped closed again and his breathing returned to its normal rate. He slumped back down onto the mattress, his hands clenching into angered fists as he let out a single, frustrated sob before falling silent.

"Seto?" Jounouchi tried again, but he received no response. With a sigh, he took up the vial of oil Adam had been using and poured some into his hands. Gently, he pressed both palms to the center of the brunet's back and began rubbing them in slow, easy circles. Seto tensed at first but eventually relaxed, his body too worn out and exhausted from his emotional breakdown. Moments passed in silence, and a full ten minutes later, Seto was the one to speak first. "Could you blow out these blasted candles?" he wondered in a melancholy voice. "I'm getting a headache."

Jounouchi nodded and moved to extinguish the candles. Once they were all out, the room was almost completely dark. The blond opened the blinds on the opposite side of the room a little bit, letting some sunlight filter into the room as he cracked a window open to air out the small space. Seto breathed a sigh of relief as he was assaulted with fresh air, no matter how chilly it was - after all, he wasn't wearing anything, save for the towel draped across his hips.

The therapist returned to his client's side and resumed the small circles he had been tracing along Seto's back. While he wasn't trained in massage therapy, Jounouchi had a hands-on personality, and was a firm believer in the theory that human contact was what most lonely souls wanted and needed. So, he kept his hands on Seto's skin, comforting the other man through touch while he began to speak. "Do you want to talk about what just happened?" he asked, keeping his voice calm, steady, and - most importantly - impartial and non-judgmental.

The question was so stereotypical of a psychologist that Seto barked out a rough laugh and then instantly quieted, ashamed of the way his emotions were acting on their own. Normally, he would have had much better control over his expressions, but this situation was far from normal. After several moments of silence, Seto began to talk. He told Jounouchi about his first encounter with a masseuse, and how his worries always got the best of him in those situations. It was the same when he tried to sleep at night – no matter what effort he had put toward his company during the day, he couldn't get any rest at night because he felt it was never enough and there was always more he could have done. He spoke of how he was frustrated with himself for being so weak, how Mokuba and his company depended on him to be strong, and he just wasn't good enough for either of them.

Jounouchi cut into the brunet's tirade at that point, his hands sliding up Seto's back and coming to rest on his shoulders. "What more can ya do?" he asked, squeezing slightly and pressing a soft kiss to Seto's shoulder blade. "Yer only human, Kaiba," he murmured quietly. "You expect too much of yerself."

Seto immediately tensed in defiance, ready to defend himself against such an accusation, but Jounouchi wouldn't let him speak. "I think that's enough for today," the blond said, removing his hands from Seto's warm skin and turning to a sink in the far corner of the room. "You should go back to yer room and have a nap, Kaiba. Ya look dead tired."

Seto pressed his lips tightly together, holding back a few choice words as he stiffly got to his feet, pulling the towel tightly around his waist and throwing his robe over his shoulders. "Very well," he replied curtly, turning and heading out of the room without another word.

As soon as Seto was gone, Jounouchi sighed and pressed his forehead against the mirror as he continued to rub the oil from his greasy fingers. He knew he'd been hard on Seto today, pushing him almost to his limit. But, casual approaches and slow, gradual methods were not going to work with the strong-headed brunet. Jou knew that he needed to be direct with Seto to get through his thick skull.

Jounouchi's heart lightened, however, as he realized the progress they'd made today. Kaiba had talked to him without too much prodding, though it may have been easier because of his weakened emotional state. The blond sighed again, shutting off the water and drying his hands. Seto was bound to think that the therapist had taken advantage of him in his moment of weakness, and if that was true, then the brunet's weak trust was about to take a step in the backwards direction. It was also likely that Seto would clam up and refuse to divulge any other information...

An idea suddenly hit Jounouchi, and he smiled slightly as he headed from the room. He returned the key to the receptionist, and then went back to his office to gather what he needed. He'd give Seto a little bit of homework, and maybe they'd go for a walk outside tomorrow after lunch. Some good food certainly wouldn't hurt the brunet's thin stature, and a walk in the woods might return a bit of colour to his pale skin.

Ooo TBC ooO


End file.
